The autumn leaves are falling like rain. Although my neighbors are all barbarians and you, you are a thousand miles away, there are always two cups at my table.

T’ang Dynasty poem

Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn, a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter. If your mind isn't clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life.

~ Wu-men ~

Wednesday, October 01, 2014

The Brilliance of the Chinese Longsword

We have another guest post by Jonathon Bluestein. The topic of this one is the Chinese Longsword. Enjoy.

The Brilliance of the Chinese Longsword

By
Jonathan Bluestein

The
purpose of this very long article is to familiarize readers with a uniquely
Chinese weapon – the Miao Dao. During the 20th century, this sword
has been pushed out the spotlight in favour of the much more popular Dao (Broadsword),
Da Dao (Huge Broadsword), Guan Dao (a staff with a huge broadsword blade at its
end), and the Jian (the Chinese straight, double-edged sword).
Historically-speaking however, the Miao Dao was very popular on the Chinese
battlefields, and nowadays it is regaining its popularity in various martial
arts communities in China, south-east Asia and the West alike. The article
shall first discuss the history of the sword, later its structure and utility,
and at last its training methods, usage in the martial arts and the
characteristics of it in fighting.

In the picture:
the author, shifu Bluestein, wielding a typical modern training miao
dao. This is a generic model that was very common in China throughout the early
21st century.

The weapon’s history and name

Two-handed
swords of various styles have a history in China which goes back over 2000
years. According to my teacher, late master Zhou Jingxuan, the first Miao Dao
date back to about the 5th century. It emerged around the time when
round hilt guards first became widespread in Chinese sword design. It was known
by many names throughout history. Originally it was mostly commonly referred to
as simply ‘Chang Dao’ (長刀; Longsword). Later in the Ming and Qing dynasties
(1368-1644 AD, 1644-1911 AD), it was plainly called ‘two-handed sword’. At that
time, it was also commonly known as ‘Mao Dao’ (矛刀; Spear-sword). Another name for it
over the centuries (beginning in the Song dynasty, 960 – 1279 AD) had been
‘Zhan Ma Dao’ (斩马刀)
– Horse Cutting Sword. An appropriate name for a blade which is big, heavy and
fearsome enough to cut down horses’ legs and stab them to death. This may sound
archaic, but modern Miao Dao forms still feature movements which can be used
for such horrendous purposes, and the weapon can be demonstrated to easily cut
through the corpses of large animals (this I saw myself on Chinese
documentaries, even when the cutting swords were held by only moderately-skilled
individuals). The sword was also wielded by cavalrymen, and when used in that
fashion it was most often utilized for stabbing (rather than hacking, cutting
or slashing). Since all of these names were used interchangeably, sometimes
they referred to miao dao, and other times to very similar designs with some
modifications.
The modern name, ‘Miao Dao’ means ‘Sprout Sword’, and refers to the resemblance
of a grounded sword (blade in ground and handle facing upwards) to that of some
green sprouts. My teacher told me that the reason the sword began to be referred
to by this name was confusion in pronunciation, with ‘Miao Dao’ sounding
similar to ‘Mao Dao’. This error persisted and the name stuck.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) there
had lived a very famous martial artist – General Qi Jiguang (November 12, 1528 – January 5,
1588). Born into a hereditary military family, he came to hold a mythical
position in Chinese military history and culture. During his lifetime and
career, the Chinese army was busy fighting off Japanese pirates, and it is more
than likely that at the time, Miao Dao and Katanas crossed blades on the
battlefield. Indeed, in the 14th century painting below, dated
before the time of Cheng Chongdou and Qi Jiguang, we already see Japanese pirates (Wokou 倭寇)
wielding what appears to be Katanas (this is also evident in other paintings of
these pirates), and it is known that many of them were former Samurai (those
who wish to read more about these pirates can do so here: http://www.nippon.com/en/features/c00101/ ). Qi was called forth to command the
resistance against these pirates, who were attacking the cities of Zhejiang
province (浙江省), which he eventually did quite successfully, partly by utilizing
the miao dao as counter-measures to the very long nodachi used by the pirates.

Initially,
in 1557, Qi trained 3000 volunteers to fight the pirates. The fighting went
badly for them in the following year, and Qi reasoned that one of the chief
reasons was that the majority of these soldiers were urban dwellers, who did
not possess strong physical foundation for fighting. Henceforth, Qi decided to
only train farm boys for the job. He further honed his strategies by inventing
the ‘Mandarin Duck Formation’. This squad was composed of basic units of twelve
men each, consisting of two rattan shield & sword men, one leader (carrying
a flag), two with bamboo lances, and four with long lances, two fork (trident)
men, and a cook, who also acted as a logistics man. They were to advance in
that order, or in two five man columns dividing the weapons equally, but with
the strict ruling that all acted to protect the leader from being wounded. Had
the leader lost his life, during a battle that ended in defeat, any survivor in
his unit was to be executed. Thus each man was drilled in the spirit of win or
die. At the same time the weapons were specifically designed to fight the
Pirates whose long bows were deadly and whose sharp swords could sever any
Chinese hand weapon. In Qi’s tactics the shield was to take care of the arrows,
and the bamboo lance, with its bushy branches intact, could slow down the
onslaught and entangle the swordsman making it possible for the other lancers
to dispatch him. The lengthened blades of the swords also accommodated for the
long Japanese reach. The image above, illustrating the Mandarin Duck Formation,
was taken from General Qi’s book military tactics which he wrote following the
successful anti-pirate campaigns, in 1560 (age 32). The book was called
‘Quanjing Jieyao Pian’ – A New Treatise on Disciplined Service. Free English
translations of this book are available online.

General
Qi Jiguang also famously issued Miao Dao swords to many of his soldiers when
fighting the Mongols. Qi was only 22 years old (1550) when the Mongols breached
through the walls of Beijing, and he helped defend the city. In the aftermath,
he and others proposed taking the fight with the Mongols to the northern
borders, to prevent such an event from recurring. The Mongol front was far from
that Qi Jiguang had with the Japan, which serves to demonstrate the sword had
proven much versatility in usage under different conditions and upon various
terrains.
Qi served protecting the Great Northern Wall from Mongol threats in the years
1568-1583. He repaired the Wall, built more observation towers (to serve as his
early warning net), organized training centers, and concentrated on drilling
cavalry and wagon troops. He thought that the Mongols, like the pirates, were
strongest in their element: in their case, on horseback on hard ground. His
defense strategy emphasized attacking the Mongols once they had either
penetrated, or been allowed to penetrate, the Great Wall. Miao Dao were were
issued to four types of squads: Combat
Wagon squads who used their wagons as cover, Baggage Supply Wagon squads,
regular infantry squad which was similar to the Mandatin Duck Formation, and a
Cavalry squad. Each of these had men wielding miao dao, which were at the time
called ‘Chang Dao’ (Longsword). Usuaully, they were carried by bowmen and
musketeers, to be used after the ammunition was exhausted.

Later
in his life, Qi Jiguang wrote another book, about the Miao Dao, titled ‘Xīn Yǒu
Dāo Fǎ’ (辛酉刀法).
The words ‘Xīn Yǒu’ refer to the year the book was released in during the Ming
dynasty (58th year of a 60 year cycle), and ‘Dāo Fǎ’ means ‘Sword
Methods’. Together – ‘The Sword Methods of the 58th Year’.

The
weapons of General Qi Jiguang’s soldiers and their opponents also tell us much
about how skilled these men were. It is written and recorded in both Japanese
and Chinese histories that during that era, the Samurai, Japanese Pirates and
General Qi’s soldiers commonly used swords that reached the upwards of 200cm in
length. A true battlefield miao dao at the length of 135cm, such a sword I own
myself, weighs roughly 2.5kg. This means a miao dao or nodachi as long as 200cm
should weigh over 3.5kg. Let it make this very clear – such a weapon is
unwieldy for normal individuals in our time, even most well-trained martial
artists. To be able to effectively fight with a sword so massive and
effectively control it for many minutes, perhaps hours on end in combat, means
that the Asian warriors of the period were exceptionally fit and strong. Each
must have been an equivalent in ability to a superior, world-class athlete of
our time.

In the pictures: Left - A samurai of
that era, with a huge nodachi, which I estimate to be about 2 meters long. Note
that the mass and lever of this massive weapon are further added to by the
armor this warrior had to carry!
Right – Manchurian soldiers from the 1640s (a generation after Qi Jiguang’s
death), carrying Miao Dao. Based on the ratio of weapon-to-body seen in this
painting, I estimate the length of the swords to be 135-155cm – about the same
as modern miao dao.

Much time had passed since the days of Qi Jiguang, and the Miao Dao was
nearly forgotten. Its place was taken by the classic broader, shorter and more
curved design of the Dao. Cold weapons were in any case undergoing a long
process of being permanently replaced by firearms. Despite this, various miao
dao traditions persisted, scattered across China.

A little later, but at around the same
period (of Qi Jiguang) had lived another famous martial artist by the name of Cheng Chongdou (程冲斗 ;
Also known as Cheng Zongyou 程宗猷). He was born around 1561 in Anhui province. He is said
to have been called by a representative of the Chinese emperor to teach army
troops in Tianjin when he was 62 years of age. Skilled with many weapons, he
wrote a famous book about the usage of Miao Dao, titled ‘Dān Dāo Fǎ Xuǎn’ (单刀法选)
– ‘Selected (most important) Techniques of the Single Sword’. In the book are
also notably featured other weapons, such as a crossbow (being carried by the
soldiers as he wields the Miao Dao) and a short dagger (which is depicted as been carried passively or thrown at an
opponent). The image to the left is from his book.

In the picture:
An image from Cheng Chongdou’s book, Dān Dāo Fǎ Xuǎn. The book features
a lot of illustrations of soldiers carrying crossbows, together or without a
Miao Dao. As seen here, the crossbow (like the musket) took a whole-body effort
and quite a lot of time to load, and could not have been used together with the
Miao Dao. At the time, a popular tactic would have been to utilize projectile
weaponry from a safe position or shelter, and resort to an all-out charge at
the enemy once ammunition ran out. It is interesting that in this book, the
soldiers are often both archers and infantrymen, while in European Medieval
armies there would have been a greater distinction between the two fighting
classes. It seems that the crossbow, being easier to shoot with than the bow,
allowed for more verasatility in its uses among the soldiers.

In
the beginning of the 20th century, master Guo Chengsheng (1866-1967)
combined his extensive knowledge of Pigua Zhang (a Chinese martial art) with
that he had of the Miao Dao, and created a second variation for the Miao Dao
form (known as ‘Er Lu’ – Second Road), with the aid of his friend, master Ma
Yingtu. Both the first (original) and second form are mostly closely associated
with the techniques shown in Cheng Chongdou’s book, Dān Dāo Fǎ Xuǎn. Here is a
video of my teacher, master Zhou Jingxuan, performing the Er Lu Miao Dao form:

As of now, I am aware of at least
four distinct miao dao traditions still extant in China:

1.
Master Han Yiling of Hebei province created a comprehensive martial arts style
which he named ‘Cloud Demon’, and taught in the late 20th and early
21st centuries. The curriculum included the practice of miao dao,
which Han possibly learned in Tianjin from his Tongbei teacher, Deng Hongzao.

2.
A lineage passed down within the Hui Muslim community of Xin Yi Liu He’s miao
dao. In the 20th century it was passed down by Liu Fengming and his
disciple Song Guobin, and notable masters of it who were likely still living in
the early 2000s were Ma Zhiqiang (马志强) and Liang Hong Xuan (from Bengbu, Anhui province). There
appear to be at least two long forms in this lineage. Routine one has 58
postures, and routine two has 64 postures. The tradition is called Wansheng
Miao Dao after the Wansheng Security Firm. The Wansheng company, which
provided armed escort services, adopted this sword somewhere between the end of
the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty and made it a specialty
weapon of theirs. The miao dao were originally up to five chi, or 166cm long
(blade 126cm and handle 39cm), with the weight of 2.5kg. This tradition now
have a fixed length of 150cm (handle 20c, blade 130cm) and weigh 1.25kg.
Unique, the practitioner will also perform with a set of three throwing knives
attached to waist, which would be tossed in the middle of a form (the knives
resemble the Japanese Kunai). This method was also featured in the Qi Jiguang’s
book, Xīn Yǒu Dāo Fǎ.

3.
The Guo Changsheng lineage, to which I belong: Cheng Chongdou, Qi Jiguang and others in
ancient times >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mr. Yang (18th century) >>> Xie
Jinfen (18-19th centuries) >>> Liu Yuchun (19th century; instructor at
the Nanking Central Martial Arts Academy. Was a master of Pigua, Tongbei and
Miao Dao) >>> Guo Chengsheng (1866-1967) >>> Guo Fengming >>> Pang Zhiqi &
Wang Lianhe (20th century) >>> Zhou Jingxuan (in the video
above) >>> Jonathan Bluestein. | Though
Guo Changsheng’s teachings of the Miao Dao had been of traditional
battlefield techniques, over time his forms spread across China, with the
majority of people practicing them in altered versions, adhering to the mindset
and framework of modern sports Wushu. Thus, it came to be that as in the past,
relatively few people still practice the Miao Dao as originally intended. In
our lineage, the length of the Miao Dao changes according to the person’s
height, and the weight according to personal preference and ability. The handle
should be the length that is measured between the end of one’s elbow and the
end of one’s one’s outstretched pinky finger, on the same arm.

In the picture:
Guo Changsheng’s son, Guo Ruixiang (born 1932), himself a famous master.
Note the closeness of the blade to the thigh as it passes in a circular fashion
near it – a trademark of Miao Dao movements.
The Guo family still manufactures and sells their own Miao Dao: http://www.guoruixiang.com/wangshang_jpzs.htm

4.
There might exist in Korea a fourth school, or several schools, of miao dao. A
sword the size of the miao dao with an odachi-like design, called ‘Ssang Su Do’
(Double-Handed Saber), is featured in a few Korean traditions. It has been
suggested that when the Chinese Ming Dynasty troops lent their assistance to
Korea against the Japanese invasion, General Qi Jiguang's sword methods were
taught to the Koreans. These were later adapted and included in the comprehensive
Korean martial arts manual, ‘Muye Dobo Tongji’, under the Ssang Su Do chapter.

Physical appearance and design

The
sword which bears the greatest similarity to the Miao Dao in design is
strangely the Japanese Katana. This must be an uncomfortable piece of
truth for the Chinese and Japanese, a large percentage of whom had been
seriously resenting each-other (for good reasons) over the last few centuries.
General Qi Jiguang even had the miao dao of hi soldiers made like traditional
high-quality Japanese katanas – with laminated construction, creating a hard
steel edge and more flexible iron spine.
Some claim that the Miao Dao is the sword that inspired the creation of the
Japanese Katana. This sounds reasonable given the fact that Japan had borrowed
significant portions of its culture, art, philosophies and even its entire
writing system from China. However, Katanas are evidenced to have existed in
Japan already countless generations ago – from at least the 14th
century (The abovementioned Ming Dynasty in which the Miao Dao became
commonplace, was only established in 1364). This puts into question the former
claim of native Chinese influence, and it is possible that there had been
cross-influences in the development of both swords. Nonetheless, it is still
claimed by some that the Miao Dao influenced the creation of the Katanas before
that time, perhaps even as early as the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD).

I
have also encountered claims that Cheng Chongdou, author of the Miao Dao book
Dān Dāo Fǎ Xuǎn I mentioned earlier, was influenced by the Samurai school
called Shin Kage Ryu (新陰流; ‘New Shadow School’), and that Qi
Jiguang, author of the other Miao Dao book, Xīn Yǒu Dāo Fǎ, based his work upon
a Japanese swordsmanship manual he acquired in battle. We cannot tell how much
of this is true. In modern times, the body mechanics of traditional Koryu
styles are extremely different to Chinese Miao Dao methods. Furthermore, the
Katanas had always been shorter than the Miao Dao, and the substantial
difference in both length and weight, as well as handle size, etc, makes for a
very different wielding experience. Such things would be compared more thoroughly
later in the article.
Another important point to consider is that Shin Kage Ryu was founded in the
middle of the 16th century (when Qi Jiguang was already middle-aged
and Cheng Chongdou was a child). This means that for this styles to have
influenced any of the two, it ought to have become very influential and widespread
within less than 30-40 years – so wide spread as to reach the shores of a
different continent, wherein it would be used by several people and influence
two major military figures in a foreign army. While possible, this is unlikely.
To add to this unlikelihood, Qi Jiguang’s book is said to have been written
circa (1560) – around the time Shin Kage Ryu was founded, and at most not long
afterwards. The comparisons drawn with Shin Kage Ryu seem to have been based on
matching supposed similarities between written manuals, which is often a poor
way to make such judgments, especially when the persons involved are
self-taught on the art of sword wielding.

I
was told, in confidence by a martial arts historian whom I trust, that there is
in existence a decent and authentic Japanese drawing of a very (!)
notable Japanese samurai, a founder of a known system, wearing Chinese armor of
his period. This would be a very clear proof that Samurai warfare was
influenced by Chinese methods. Unfortunately, I was sworn to refrain from
revealing, in public or private, who is the person in question and what
was his style, because this information has been handed out in trust and
secrecy. Other records of Chinese influence over Japanese swords arts also
exist (http://www.kashima-shinryu.jp/English/i_history.html).
We know for instance that Ogasawara Genshinsai (1574–1644), the 4th
inheritor of Shin Kage Ryu, lived for a period in Beijing, China, where he
studied Chinese fist and weapons methods and also taught Japanese Bujutusu to
the Chinese (this is documented, based on translations from ancient scrolls, in
a book called ‘Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima-Shinryū and Samurai Martial
Culture’).

In
terms of metalworking, it is important to remember that Japan, unlike China,
had always been scarce in natural resources, and especially high quality steel.
This had forced Japanese swordsmiths to become more innovative in their art,
and also significantly prolonged the time it took them to produce blades. These
facts made the Katana a very prized weapon – the weapon of professional
warriors (Samurai) and the aristocracy. Blades like the Miao Dao, on the other
hand, could have been more readily made in China, and their commonality made
them less valuable – financially, culturally, artistically and otherwise.
The entire cultural perception of these weapons varies significantly. This
would soon be illustrated when comparing their innate structural attributes and
physical form, but can already be witnessed by a keen eye in the pictures
presented so far in the article. For instance - above in the first image in
this article, we see a soldier throwing the sword in the air and catching it (a
technique still found in the Wansheng tradition). This type of action is
unheard of in Japanese Koryu arts as they are practiced today. Not to mention
the fact that Miao Dao forms utilize classic stances from Chinese gong fu – Ma
Bu, Gong Bu, Hou Bu, etc – which are not identical to those used in Japanese
arts. With regard to the significance of the sword to its owner – the Japanese
Samurai often considered the words to be ‘his soul’, and would bow to it before
practice. That type of near-religious practice is not something a Chinese
warrior would do. At least, it is not something the Chinese have kept in
practice into modern times.

In the
pictures: Above - an image from Cheng Chongdou’s book,
Dān Dāo Fǎ Xuǎn. Below – two 20th century practitioners of Ninjutsu,
of the Bujinkan school, help each other draw their Nodachi.

Historical
documents teach us that Miao Dao were always fairly long – so long at times,
that some varieties could not have been unsheathed single-handedly with ease
when the scabbard is attached to the body, and to speed the process bearers
would be aided in this action by their partner before or during combat. We see
this in the picture above (though ironically, the swords featured in the image
are in fact easily sheathable by a single person). At a greater length this
would make sense, as the swords would be too long to be carried at the waist,
and would have to be positioned on one’s back. At that position, having a
friend to do the drawing for your saves a lot of time. This was also common
practice with Japanese Odachi. Another solution for quick drawing had been to
grab the handle and throw the sword directly upwards into the air, catching it
as soon as it fully exists the scabbard and lowers to the ground. This method
is recorded in the practice of the Wansheng tradition.
Though Miao Dao lengths can vary greatly, one constant has been that they are
always notably longer than most Japanese Katanas, and therefore not suitable
for quick drawing and with a tendency for clumsiness at indoor fighting. Unlike
the Chinese straight sword (Jian), these swords were not originally intended
for dueling – they were first and foremost instruments war. This is important
to remember for another reason. The Miao Dao’s greatest enemies on the
battlefield were not other Miao Dao, but spears and staffs (AKA cut-off
spears), because they had a significantly longer reach. The Miao Dao has the
edge to cut through these weapons (and even harder objects), but that requires
timing, skill and very specific angles. I shall go more into these things as
the article progresses.

The
length of the Miao Dao used in my lineage varies proportionally to the height
and measurements of the practitioner. The handle should be anywhere between the
length of one’s forearm and fist put together, and the distance between one’s
elbow and the edge of the pinky finger. That is pretty long compared with a
Katana’s handle, and has several purposes. First and most important, to make it
easier to switch hand positions. Second, so a wider grip could be used – making
for a more effective lever, and allowing for arms and shoulders to open more in
movement (this is important for utilizing the structural mechanics of wielding
a Miao Dao in the Pigua style). Interestingly, because the length of the handle
reflects that of a person’s forearm and palm, and the grip slides along and
changes all the time, training with the Miao Dao also coincidentally aids in
learning to work with an opponent’s arm when empty-handed, teaching a certain type
of sensitivity in this regard.
The height of the blade reflects utility of action. A characteristic Miao Dao
technique which we use involves an upwards slashing with the sword, following
the drawing of a large circle. To increase effectiveness and partially hide the
sword from the opponent’s field of vision, the sword’s circle is drawn as close
to one’s body as possible, passing very near to one’s legs (the unskilled can
actually cut themselves). Given that the blade is in this sort of action almost
perpendicular to the ground in the moment before the upward slashing maneuver,
it ought to be short enough to avoid hitting the ground, yet long enough to
maximize potential reach. For a person of modest height such as myself, at
170cm (5’7) tall this makes the length of Miao Dao most appropriate for me
about 135cm (4’4). Another member of your gongfu family, Etai, is about 196cm
(6’4) tall, and his Miao Dao is proportionally longer. Still, at the more common length of about
135cm (4’4), the Miao Dao is fairly close to the upper-end of longer Medieval
Broadswords (~130cm) and is comparable with the length of traditional Claymores
(120-140cm), while being smaller than most Greatswords (130-180cm).
Interestingly, the miao dao and these European swords I just mentioned rose to
prominence at about the same time frame in history, during the 15th
century. Note that unlike their mistakenly stereotyped image, the ‘Chinese’ are
not necessarily a short people at all (and
respectively, their swords are not necessarily small!). Up north in Tianjin
city where my teacher resides, many males exceed the height of 182cm (6’), and
northwards to Tianjin people can be even bigger.
The length of the Miao Dao, though suggested as limiting at times in close
quarters within walls, has of course the advantage of reach, and the latter is
not limited to offense. With a shorter sword, when another weapon is aimed at
one’s lower extremities, one is often forced to crouched in order to parry, or
jump to avoid being hit or cut (as common in Katori Shinto Ryu). The Miao Dao is
long enough to defend these parts without resorting to such methods, and the
body can be used for other purposes instead (though forward leaping, as opposed
to jumping in place, does exist in the practice of this sword).

In the picture:
A samurai with an Odachi. Note the bronze (perhaps gold) decorations on
his scabbard – these resemble Chinese designs more than Japanese art of that
sort.

Interestingly, the length of the Japanese Odachi (大太刀; Greatsword; also ‘O Katana’) tends to be the same as that of Miao Dao (sometimes much longer), though the former has never been nearly as popular as the Katana. In the Heihan period (9th-12th century Japan), the Odachi were rather common, similar in length to the Miao Dao, and was likewise carried on one’s back (rather than at the waist like Katana), and often unsheafed by two people. The handle though always maintained reminiscence to the Katana, with a tight grip. Despite the similarities in older samples, in many examples today we see that the Odachi’s blade is shorter and often more curved, and its handle longer, than those of the Miao Dao, which would call for significant changes in the way these two weapons are wielded. Both weapons were nonetheless used by cavalry. I speculate that the change in the Odachi’s design, as compared with the Miao Dao, may have been in order to save precious steel, and ease the forging process (which is challenging for extremely long swords using traditional Japanese methods). By lengthening the handle and shortening the blade, the swords still maintained its superior reach while on horseback. Also, a cavalryman has to change the reach of his weapon, but is often limited since when the horse is stationary, he cannot advance or retreat much. A longer handle, such as that of the Odachi, is useful for adjusting one’s fighting range in these conditions. The infantryman would benefit more from the Miao Dao’s design, which gives more blade at the expense of an extended hilt.

Odachi
practice is very rare, but still survives among some Koryu schools in Japan.
The Kôden Enshin ryu Ken-Pô school, for instance, still has people
practicing with this weapon. Their Odachi is much larger than a standard Miao
Dao, and its wielding appears vastly different. The length itself justify the
different usage, more so than the weight, since it prevents the wielder from
passing the blade close to the floor. While Miao Dao could potentially be used
indoors at times, despite their clumsiness in such an environment, the Enshin ryu
shinken are simply too long.
Another koryu school, Shin Muso Hayashizaki ryu, interestingly preserved
a tradition of Battou-jutsu (Iai-jutsu) using Odachi of similar size to modern
miao dao. This tradition is quite different to Chinese miao dao usage and
features very intricate close-range fighting tactics with this long weapon.
Some Shin Kage ryu practitioners also still preserve odachi fighting
methods (reminding that this is the school that is claimed by some to have been
related to mutual Sino-Japanese longsword evolution). An additional school that
kept similar traditions is Kage ryu (unrelated to the predecessor of
Shin Kage ryu).

All
that being said, there are Odachi which feature almost identical design to the
Miao Dao. By the beginning to middle 17th century though, the
Japanese governments forbade the production of blades above a certain length.
From that century onwards the Odachi almost became extinct, and endured mostly
as a religious artifact in various shrines as a symbolic prayer to gods for
gods of war. Most of the original blades were either lost in time, purposely
destroyed, or cut to length to fit the new laws.

In the
picture: A classic old Chang Dao (‘longsword’).
Examine the most notable differences:
Existence of a large round pommel-ring. Different guard design. Handle
cylindrical rather than elliptical. Blade becomes thicker towards the end. The
top (unsharpened) part of the blade is thinner than in the Miao Dao.

For
the Miao Dao, a greater length also equals a greater weight, and the historical
weight of the battlefield miao dao had been 2.5kg (without the scabbard; as
recorded in the tradition of the Wansheng Security Company). Modern miao dao
tend to weigh around 1-1.5kg, which is more manageable for training.
Personally, I own a regular miao dao of a 2.5kg weight, and a strength-training
special custom-made piece which weighs 9kg.
It would be a mistake to simply compare the weight of two swords as it appears
plainly on scales, though. It tells one nothing of their balance and handling. Most
battlefield weapons, even the huge Chinese great spears, do not feel too
‘heavy’ when held in place or in one’s hands for a few moments. The weight of a
weapon becomes significant only after one has trained with it for a while in a
given session, and especially following its swinging with the true intent of
causing harm.
A weight difference of mere 500 grams (17oz) can make for a huge difference
when having to swing a weapon for a while with full force (because of the lever
and momentum). This any Western Boxer knows well, as even heavy training gloves
rarely weigh more than 470 grams (16oz). Katanas do not tend to exceed 900
grams (2.1lbs, 34Oz), while the Miao Dao can easily top 1400 grams (3.1lbs,
49Oz). There is therefore usually more than a 500 gram (17Oz) difference in
weight between the two (comparison is for swords without the scabbard). The
Japanese Odachi though can weigh as much as a Miao Dao and more.
What the Miao Dao earns in powerful momentum with its weight, it loses in
agility to the swift katana. It takes much greater skill and strength to wield
the Miao Dao as quickly and accurately as its Japanese counterpart. Knowing
this, the Miao Dao is understandably less evasive and more confrontational, as
due to its length and weight, it is more challenging for its wielder to bounce
the blade around the opponent’s attacks. The latter option exists, but is favoured
to a lesser degree.

Unlike
its length, the general shape of Miao Dao tends to remain constant. The curve
is slight, similar to classical katanas. One does not see overly-curved Miao
Dao. Some Chang Dao variations exist which are completely straight. It would
have been interesting to see a more curved Miao Dao, as such a novelty may come
to combine the strategies of both this weapon and the Chinese Dao.

One
interesting design choice for the Miao Dao is the handle material, which is
most commonly mildly-smooth wood. This differs greatly from the traditional
emphasis in the design of katana handles, which stress a firm grip, with
anti-sliding folds & crevices and usage of materials like leather, woven
rope and dried stingray skin.
Here too we are hinted to the differing functionality of these swords. The
Katana, which at its later development was mostly thought of as a dueling
weapon, is meant to end a fight with one or two blows, requiring a firm grip
for a single decisive action. The Miao Dao, a battlefield weapon, assumes that
if you remain alive, you would be fighting for quite some time, and would be
changing your grip a lot throughout. It is also possible that in China, given
that the greater part of the country does not border the ocean (more common in
Japan), something like a stingray was not in the thoughts of many sword
designers. But in any case, this is more of a functional choice.

Apart from the length of combat, the Chinese two-handed weapons in general tend
to normally show more favour than their Japanese counterparts for a sliding of
hands across the gripping surface (a preference also maintained with staffs and
spears of all sizes). Our Miao Dao in particular, which is heavily influenced
by staff techniques (and vice-versa), is fond of this mechanism. Too rugged a
grip is therefore considered a limiting factor, and wood is a more forgiving
material in this respect. Anyone who shall get a hold of a traditional,
well-made Katana will feel that it is almost impossible to slide the grip like
one could do with a staff, which is exactly what the makers of this sword
intended. Perhaps, the grip may solve the riddle as to whether there had truly
been a Japanese influence on Chinese methods. Wherein ancient Miao Dao
techniques and body methods similar to what is being used today, it would have
been impossible for it to have a grip like that of the Katana. The opposite is
also true – if the grip was identical to that of modern Katanas, then the
ancient Miao Dao could not have been used in the same fashion as it is utilized
in modern times.

In the
picture: Classic Katana hilt designs. All three show a
favouring of a firm grip over maneuverability of the palm across the hilt. Notice
the beautiful carvings intertwined with the rope. These are never found on
traditional Miao Dao, even though the Chinese are no strangers to the art of
miniature carving, and such wondrous items are still extremely popular in
Chinese markets today.

The
blunt upper section of the blade (‘Mune’ in Japanese) is often thicker than in
Katanas, and sometimes rounded. This is no arbitrary choice. This part of the
sword is commonly used to strike down an enemy, parry his weapon or even break
it. When using the Miao Dao in this fashion, it can resemble a medium staff in
its mechanics. Unlike with European swords, a pommel at the butt of the handle
is uncommon nowadays (attribute shared with Katanas), but may have been more
common in the past. Metal rings are sometimes present instead, but are actually
detrimental to the appropriate execution of some techniques as they make the
gripping of the tip of the hilt more cumbersome.

Generally
speaking, the Chinese seem to have not considered their Miao Dao as fine works
of art. Most of them are plain and boring in appearance – nothing like the
colorful and alluring Japanese Katanas. The Hada (grain of the blade) is most
often absent. The Tsuba (hand guard) is dull and uniform, and has no holes in
it or carvings on it. At most it may match in colour the butt of the sheath and
that of the handle. The sheath itself is tied with a simple rope and bears
little decoration, if any. Here is not an artistic sculpting in wood and steel or
the carbonized soul of the warrior. Here is found a metal instrument for the
sole purpose of killing.

From the standpoint of medieval European
swordsmanship, the Chinese and Japanese hand guards may seem too small or even
poorly designed. But it is their size and circular shape which allows them to
support well the top section of the upper gripping palm, and serve as pivoting
point to lean against when maneuvering the blade. A cross-shaped guard like
that of a Claymore, Greatsword or Broadsword may be more efficient in stopping
an incoming blade, but offers less of a pivoting lean, and can possibly
interfere with some Miao Dao techniques that require tight angular shifting of
the hands and blade. It is therefore a matter of give and take – some
functionality is always lost for another useful trait.

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Methods of training

The Miao Dao is primarily practiced either with solo movements and combinations or with a long form. Usually, one would learn the solo drills first, then the form, and after a period of training the form diligently will also carefully practice applications with fellow students. Sparring is exceedingly dangerous to attempt, even with wooden swords. A weapon whose original purpose was to cut through horses with heavy and powerful strikes is not akin in its movements to a Kendo Shinai, which seeks to score points and is constantly probing around like a housefly looking for sugar. I am not familiar with fixed partner drills with the Miao Dao, although with wooden version is it easy to adapt the common staff and spear ‘push-hands-like’ drills to be used with this weapon.

Like other Pigua movement forms (Tau Lu), the Miao Dao form is geared towards the 1 and a half minute mark, when practiced at full speed; emphasizing solid anaerobic endurance and a very rapid pace. The form as demonstrated by master Zhou earlier in the article lasted some 65 seconds, rather than 90, since he purposely omitted a few movements along the way, and had performed it faster than most people can.
The length of this form is characteristic of Chinese martial arts, but not so of Japanese (including Samurai) arts. Its intensity reflects the needs and calling of warfare, while the shorter kata practiced in Japanese Koryu styles mirror the reality of life and death duels with swords, engaged by professionals, in which the victor is usually decided more quickly. These are of course generalizations, and there are many exceptions. However, we still see that the originators and inheritors of the arts had differing fighting concepts in mind.
Though traditionally the way to practice the Miao Dao form is at either ‘walking speed’ or as one would fight in combat (90~ seconds per repetition), I personally believe that the practitioner can greatly benefit from very slow and intentional practice. Because of my background in Xing Yi Quan, I take care to practice almost everything I know at a rate which would put the common turtle to sleep. A long form such as that used with the Miao Dao can easily be stretched to over 4 minutes. Experience has taught me that this is the best method for gaining a deeper understanding and true control of whichever movement in the martial arts one chooses to practice.

The Japanese schools have traditionally been keen on cutting practices for the testing of blades. Once, the Samurai would volunteer to cut the heads and limbs of criminals (dead or alive), or simply find a good opportunity to kill someone. Later, it became more common (to this day) that Japanese schools would test their blades against rolled-up tatami mats or bamboo – both said to mimic well the feeling and difficulty of cutting through human flesh and bone. The cutting in itself is a science in the Japanese schools, which is taught to perfection, and concerns many minute details of execution and post-cutting examination. I am not aware of similarly organized ‘testing protocols’ in the Chinese arts (or with the Miao Dao for that matter), though the Chinese would also occasionally test blades by cutting through bamboo like the Japanese (tatami mats are uncommon in China). I was informed, however, that shifu Scott M. Rodell have written a book on the subject, titled ‘A Practical Guide to Test Cutting for Historical Swordsmanship’, and perhaps he has researched the matter more thoroughly.

Characteristics of practice and
application

Generally
speaking, the Miao Dao is a distinctly Chinese weapon. The stances used in
training and fighting are classical stances from traditional Chinese martial
arts, with no exceptions. The basic frontal-cutting stance is neither Gong Bu
(Bow Stance) or Ma Bu (Horse Stance), but a stance in which the most of the
weight is on the rear leg. Several variations could be used. I favour Xing Yi’s
San Ti stance (70% of weigh on rear leg, rear foot at 30-45 degrees, front foot
pointing straight ahead). Other use Baji Quan’s 60-40 stance, with both feet on
the same line and pointing at 45 degrees. When charging at full speed, the
stance is often shifted into Hou Bu (Monkey Stance), with most of the weight on
the front leg, and about 10% of it on the rear foot, which is either at the
back or should-width apart from the other.
Why are these stances important? Because when charging with the Miao Dao, the
front foot would move first, the legs would cross very close to each other, and
the stepping would be springy and agile. To allow for this mechanism, which is
identical to ‘Chicken Stepping’ in Xing Yi Quan (not to confuse with the same
name in XinYi LiuHe Quan), the rear leg should be ‘charged’ with weight, and
the front leg ‘empty’ enough to advance comfortably from a stationary position.
Then when no longer stationary, it Is easier throwing the weight from leg to
leg, using Hou Bu. In other words – charging instantly with the Miao Dao is
difficult to do when one has a 50-50 weight distribution between the legs (Ma
Bu) or when most of the weight is on the front leg and one is using a long
frontal stance (Gong Bu). The same advantage is used for withdrawal of one’s
leading foot and evasion when another weapon has targeted one’s front leg.
Nonetheless, from said positions, it is also common to lean the weight forward
momentarily in order to increase one’s reach with the sword and be able to stab
or cut a retreating or evading opponent. This would be seen later down the
article in the description of the movement ‘Dian’.
Ma Bu is also used, but primarily when the blade is transitioning and slashing
from side to side with very specific techniques. I have seen practitioners on
internet videos standing in ‘ma bu’ with their toes pointing sideways. That is
a Karate ‘Sumo Stance’, or ‘Shiko Dachi’. A correct Ma Bu has both feet
parallel. In the case of the Miao Dao, the width of this stance reflects more
the needs of the moment – it is less important, in the context of the form
itself, how low the stance is (though a lower Ma Bu in training is always
favourable in terms of developing good skills).

In the
picture: My teacher, master Zhou Jingxuan, in a
‘ready’ stance. He is slightly leaning forward as this is a part of a demonstration
for a particular technique which immediately followed.

I once read an article in which a person stated, when comparing Japanese Katana
and Western Rapier fencing: “A long lunge (with a rapier) can strike a lethal
hit from well outside the effective distance of a man with a long cutting
sword”. This is not the case with the Miao Dao, which not only contains in its
arsenal the affective combination of the Gong Bu stance and thrusting, also has
the advantage of a very long handle to aid these mechanics and drive the blade
well into its target. Then again, without solid prior foundations in
empty-handed stance work, it would be difficult to hold a low and stable
‘lunge’ position with a weapon as heavy as this.

The
Miao Dao’s blade is more flexible than it seems. It takes well to vibration,
and those skilled in issuing power from a short range (cun fa jin) can use this
skill to an extent with the Miao Dao. This is useful when the Miao Dao clashes
and is pressed against another weapon for more than a second. Then after gaining
an advantage through sensitivity, a sudden issuing of explosive power, to which
is added a small circular movement, would send the opponent’s weapon flying far
enough to allow an opening for stabbing, cutting or slashing. The blade can
also effectively parry sideways with explosive power issued into it, and those
trained with the Chinese large spear would feel at home with such a technique.

The
Miao Dao in my lineage has a very close relationship with the eyebrow-level staff
(Qi Mei Gun). As the name suggests, the staff is matched to the height of the
practitioner’s eyebrows. In Pigua it is better known by the name of its form –
Feng Mo Gun – ‘Crazy Demon Staff’. The Miao Dao is nearly as long as this
staff, and the height of both is limited just to the extent of preventing them
from touching the ground while rotating them next to one’s body, whilst still
keeping an effective range.
The two weapons share so many similarities, that after 2 years of practicing
Feng Mo Gun well (and quite a few years of practicing Xing Yi spear prior), I
was able to learn and practice ‘decently’ the Miao basics and form within a
single week. The mechanics are that similar.

Both staff and sword carry the ‘whipping’ flavor of Pigua into their movements.
These objects may be solid, but the body which wields them is pliable and
agile. It is interestingly easier to ‘whip’ with a weapon than with only one’s
body, as the added weight at the edge pulls on one’s limbs, forcing the body to
be thrown. Therefore, Pigua features a rare scenario in which, at least in my
opinion, its weapons practice is easier and less physically demanding than its
empty-handed practice. With the latter, one does not have a weight to counter
the whip, so all of one’s core muscles have to work extra-hard to control the
abundant momentum.
These common whipping mechanics also mean that the Miao Dao works through the
Pigua principle of “a pearl in a jar”. It is said that the power manifestation
in Pigua should be like the continuous flowing motion of a pearl spinning in a
jar. This is a very interesting concept, which sets Pigua apart from other
arts. In Taiji Quan, it can be said that one uses listening power (Ting Jin) in
order to sense a weakness in the opponent's structure. In Xing Yi Quan, the
practitioner can use subtle circles, vibrations and explosive powers in order
to shock the opponent and penetrate his defenses. In Aikido, one attempts to
unite with the momentum of his opponent, blend with it, and then lead it. Pigua
is much more violent. It is like a tornado. It generates an immense momentum,
passes through the opponent, and sweeps everything it touches with big
swinging, coiling attacks. The momentum keeps rolling, and this is a theme in
all Pigua movements and forms, including the Miao Dao’s. With the sword in
hand, the practitioner would use the added weight as a guide for his body, and
follow the momentum of the sword into the next movement.

In the pictures:
Master Ma Juxiang (马俊祥), student of Guo Ruixiang (son of Guo Changsheng),
demonstrating the flowing momentum of Pigua in the Miao Dao form.

Sometimes, the Miao Dao would be extended further to slash or stab with just
one arm holding it. This helps speed one’s momentum and gain some distance, and
reveals an interesting aspect of Miao Dao gongfu – that it can in fact be
wielded single-handedly with many of its techniques. The two-handed grip simply
provides more power and stability when the sword makes contact.

In both Feng Mo Gun and Miao Dao, the hands are ‘alive’ – switching positions
and places quite a lot and often. The rear of one’s palm is also used for
stabilizing the handle, as well as rotating it. Because the Feng Mo Gun is a
single piece of wood, the hands commonly slide along much of its length. While
using the Miao Dao, the hands usually move along a much smaller cross section.
The rotation of the handle often feels like rotating a volleyball in one’s
hands. The handle itself is a straight line, but it is constantly drawing
circle, as if it had been a bridge between two opposing sides within a ball.
These medium-sized rotations lend themselves well to people who have practiced
Internal martial arts, who may find this sword’s mechanics easier to comprehend
than others.

In
Japnese Koryu styles, it is more common than with the Miao Dao to step off the
line of attack. This works well for the Miao Dao two when fighting against a
slower weapon, such a big spear. Against smaller weapons though, while the Miao
Dao can be evasive like the, it prefers a head-on collision with small circles
used to divert, rather than going around the blade of the other person. This
preference, which involves sticking to the opponent’s weapon, is more
characteristic of Chinese martial arts, and shows Pigua’s inclination to ‘roll’
one’s momentum unto another like an overbearing wave. It is enabled by the
weapon’s heavier weight and greater length, and also due to its use of
sophisticated body mechanics (‘shen fa’) and the Dan Tian. Sticking to the
opponent’s weapon, especially the spear, with one’s Miao Dao, is meant to reach
the body while keeping the opponent ‘in check’, and preferably cutting his
fingers on the way. This is demonstrated nicely in the following three images,
featuring my teacher, master Zhou Jingxuan:

Along
with sticking, other characteristic techniques are sideways slashing - usually
diagonal and not horizontal, and upward or downward cutting, with the weapon
passing very close to one’s body and centerline. When coming up from below,
this assures the opponent would have a more difficult time assessing the
incoming sword’s distance and length, as it seems to be a part of your own
body. Whichever technique one may use, the sword does not ‘stop’ at the target
or slightly past it, buy continues with its momentum for what may be otherwise
considered ‘an overkill’. This requires that the practitioner be able to
recycle large-scale momentum shifts – something which Pigua’s empty-handed
practice develops.

Wing Chun’s notion of “the fastest way between two points is a straight line”
does not apply to the Miao Dao (and neither to Pigua Zhang for that matter).
This weapon excels at cutting and slashing more so than stabbing, and requires
angular momentum. All of its techniques involve circles (stabbing included), which
are more commonly large, and the weapon is always in a process of drawing a
curve of one kind or another.

In the
video: Master Zhou is showing how Pigua ‘Gua’, or
‘Hanging power’, can be used with the Miao Dao to entangle an incoming weapon’s
momentum with one’s own.

Fighting methods

It
is impossible and uncalled for to specify here all of the actual methods, so I
would only be writing of a few of them in order that readers could gain some
perspective.

One
very common technique is Dian (点). It means ‘to Dot’ – like the action of using
a brush to abruptly and gracefully place a dot on a canvas while reaching from
afar. It has the feeling of trying to shoot a basketball into a very far hoop,
with one’s entire body and intention extending from within towards the target,
sending the power through the back. The hands send a wave which travels through
the spine in a very noticeable manner (unlike its more refined variation in
arts like Southern Mantis, Xing Yi and Bagua). The wave snaps at the tip of the
blade like a whip, with the final ‘snap’ provided for by the rear palm, which
grabs the end of the handle.
Below is shown one variation of Dian, with Zhou shifu leaning his weight unto
the front leg. Another variation would be to go into an empty stance (most of
the weight on the rear leg) while leaning over and above. The latter variation
is very reminiscent of empty-handed movements in Pigua and Tongbei.

Another
trademark Miao Dao technique is ‘Pi Dao’ (劈刀), or ‘Axing Dao’. It can at times
be performed very similarly to how one would execute the same movement with a spear,
though the range of motion with the Miao Dao tends to be larger. The technique
calls for a forward-downward cutting, like Xing Yi’s Pi Quan. Before the
chopping, one may use an upward-backward motion for deflecting and lifting up
and away the opponent’s weapon (Tiao 挑), which is followed
by the forward-downward cutting.
There are generally at least 4 possible ways to use this. The chopping motion
can be with either the blunt or sharp side of the blade. The deflection can be
without flipping the blade (which sticks to the opponent’s weapon and keeps it
close), or with a fast twisting of the Miao Dao, which tends to bounce the
opponent’s weapon away. It is interesting to note in this respect that the Miao
Dao can be used to smack someone without killing him.

Characteristically,
the miao dao wielder is more offensive than defensive. It is a weapon for the
brave. In the past, only the most courageous soldiers would be chosen to charge
with it at cavalry, because such a task is so intimidating. The miao dao forms
and methods therefore engage the practitioner in a constant charge against
imaginary opponents. This is depicted well in the video below, in which master
Zhou demonstrates a flowing, constant offensive:

In
one online video demonstration I saw a Miao Dao wielder holding the sword with
one hand, using the other hand to parry and stick to the opponent’s thrusting
spear, and then stabbing with the Miao Dao. Needless to say, that person recreated
his knowledge of Miao Dao wielding from books. It makes no sense to try and
manipulate a spear with a hand, when you are already holding a weapon which is
supposed to be sharp enough to cut through most spears, and is at the least
heavy enough to slam it away, or stick to it effectively. An attempt to
manipulate a spear with one hand, while the opponent is grasping it with two
hands, can easily lead to the opponents sliding the spear into one’s body, or
across one’s arm or palm, stabbing or cutting them in the process. The same
people who had produced that video where also demonstrating techniques in which
one evades the spear with the body, and then advances to strike with the Miao
Dao. That in turn is a misunderstanding of Spear mechanics. The spear can be
drawn back just as quickly as it was thrust forwards, and one has to keep the
Miao Dao ‘checking’ the spear by being nearby to it or sticking (unless one is
already very close to the opponent.

Conclusion

The
Miao Dao is a sophisticated weapon in terms of the body mechanics and stepping
methods utilized with it. Yet it is surprisingly straight forward and simple in
its actual application, if its wielder has the skills for using it. Its
brutality and decisive nature in action make the finesse and lightness of the
Chinese straight sword blush in their relative femininity; its strength and
expansive cuts put fear in the hearts of those who stand before it – even when
these are merely students of a friendly teacher in a cooperative setting. It
provides a very interesting counter-balance to the school of thought in
European swordsmanship, and embodies in it much of the cultural and physical
traits of Chinese martial arts. Its practice is a blessing, for it hones the
senses, improves one’s perception of combat, aids in developing a truly
whipping body and limbs, and is overall a delight and much fun to play with. May
the chance come upon you, do not miss training with this exceptional instrument
of warfare past, which had made a great impact on China’s martial history.

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Shifu Jonathan Bluestein is the head of the Tianjin Martial Arts Academy, and teaches Xing Yi Quan and Pigua Zhang in Israel. He is also a martial arts author and researcher. If you liked this article, please ‘like’ the page of shifu Bluestein’s book on Facebook:

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19 comments:

Interesting that Liu Yuchun was a miao dao expert but miao dao was NOT part of the curriculum at the Nanjing Guoshu Guan. A small group did practice it 'after regular classes' but according to Adam Hsu it was not that popular.

First I would like to thank Jonathan Bluestein for the article.Regarding sunahbill's remark: It is true that miao dao was not part of the curriculum at the Nanjing Guoshu Guan, however we can find some major figures who found interest in it.Liu Yuchun himself learned the 'Yi Lu' – first road routine, from Guo "the swallow" Changsheng 郭长胜 “燕子“。Two famous martial artists who learned the miao dao from Liu at the academy were Shuijiao teacher Chang Dongsheng 常東昇, and Changquan teacher Han Qingtang 韓慶堂.Both moved eventually to Taiwan. I was fortunate enough to learn the Yi Lu in the 80's from Peng Hanping 彭韩萍, aka "Xiao Peng"(1962-1999) in Taipei, who learned it from Han.

Abi: My comment was not to detract from Johnathan's article - which I also thought was quite good but rather to keep people from getting into the same old and erroneous discussion about it and Nanjing. For example one sword practitioner claimed that he was teaching the miao dao form from the Central Military Academy at Nanjing as taught by Shrfu Han ( and which he learned at the Guoshu Guan). Han never taught at the Military Academy nor did the Military Academy ever teach miao dao. So the importance of the miao dao was exaggerated via (unofficial) association with the Guoshu Guan. BTW Chang Deng Sheng & my teacher were life-long friends. My teacher was the xingyi & military strategy instructor at the Central Military Academy - interesting connection

Thank you for your comment. The only person I can think of that matches your description "xingyi & military strategy instructor" at the academy is Zhang Xiangwu 張驤伍. Since he passed away in the 50's I'm probably wrong because you mentioned him as your teacher.

Anyway, as you wrote, the history of the miao dao at the academy was not the major topic, regardless the connection to my liniage.

There are some serious incorrect information in this article,and initially I was trying to be nice and informed the author Jonathon Bluestein directly via facebook, hoping he would revise his writing. However it turned into an argument on his personal page, and after I presented indisputable evident to prove my points he blocked me on Facebook. So instead of trying to show him the mistakes I'm just going to post it here.

First of all in the paragraph that discuss about name, he failed to mention that the original name for this blade is Wo Dao 倭刀, Miao Dao was a name that the Chinese came up in 1921, while Wo Dao was the name used since its adoption from the Japanese pirates by General Qi Jiguang, all the way through Qing dynasty, while there are other slain/nicknames for this weapon, its original and official name has been Wo Dao for most of its existence. This blade has never been called Zhan Ma Dao as that is a completely different weapon serving a completely different function.

Although in this article he sounded like he is open minded about the possibility that Miao Dao came from Japan, but in real life he completely dispute such claim, naturally this topic became the center of our argument. The author believed that Miao Dao was originally a Chinese weaponry with its root dated back to Tang Dao of the Tang dynasty, he also suggested that Tang Dao of Tang, Zhan Ma Dao of Song and Miao Dao of Ming are evolution of the same blade. He refuse to accept that Miao Dao which was originally called Wo Dao was influenced by nodachi from Japanese pirate.

While it is true that Tang dynasty warriors used a type of two hand swords, but that weaponry and its techniques were lost during the Song dynasty, and the earliest form of Miao Dao appeared in the Ming dynasty, indicating an obvious gap and chronological flaw in this imaginary lineage, the simple fact is Miao Dao has no real connection to any older form of two hand sword, it was a reinvention by General Qi Jiguang.

So where did Miao Dao really came from? During the late Ming dynasty, Japanese pirates were constantly raiding Chinese southern sea boarder. The central government sent the legendary general Qi Ji Guang to deal with this pirate issue. Initially Qi's troops did not fare well against the pirates, and General Qi once made a comment on this by saying "长兵不捷，短兵不接，身多两断！".which roughly translate into "(our) Long weapon is not agile enough, (our) short weapon does not have enough reach, and is often cut in half" This is a clear indication on how the design of the Japanese Nodachi being much more superior than the conventional weapons used by Ming troops at the time.

Take note that at this point in time, Ming troops does not have anything like a two hand sword, otherwise General Qi wouldn't need to make such comment. Which indicates the Ming troops did not come into battle with access to double hand sword.

This also proves that its incorrect for the author to say " it is more than likely that at the time, Miao Dao and Katanas crossed blades on the battlefield." Because firstly if Qi Jiguang had access to Miao Dao against Japanese he would not have said the above. And secondly if Japanese pirates were using katana, then Qi Jiguang would not say the Ming's short weapon does not have enough reach, since katana is usually between 90cm to 1m which pose no problem in term of reach for any conventional short weapon used by the Ming troops.

After many years of struggles, Qi Ji Guang eventually came up with something known as 鸳鸯阵 aka mandarin duck formation, where 12 soldiers form a collaboration, some use shields to defend, some use sharp bamboo, some use spears, some use short broadswords and one person using rifle. This formation is how Qi Ji Guang eventually defeated the pirates, not some miracle new weapon called Miao Dao. Why would he go into such trouble in training his troops with this battle formation if he could just simply give everyone a Miao Dao if it was indeed available at the time?

Although Miao Dao was not used against the pirates, it indeed was reinvented by General Qi during or after the battle against Japanese pirates, however its original name was 倭刀 meaning the Japanese blade. Its really not hard to see from its name that this weapon was not of Chinese origin. And unlike what many claims its original intention was not to fight against the pirates. If one read the text of Dan Dao Fa Xuan, the "bible" that gave birth to modern Miao Dao technique, its not hard to see that most of its description was about how to use Wo Dao 倭刀 against a spear. As far as I know Japanese pirates did not use spear as their predominate weapon of choice, in other word General Qi saw the value of Wo Dao against his own troops and decided to adopt it as a ace for future warfare against inland people who were still using conventional weapon. If general Qi actually trained troops to used Wo Dao against pirates then the documented techniques should have been more about how to counter nodachi instead of spear.

If the original name of this blade was Wo Dao, then there is no argument about its adoption from Japanese pirate. However the author then argued that the name Wo Dao could simply be a mistake in wording, as he sees no reason why the Chinese would name a blade using the character "Wo" " which according to him means "dwarf" and act as a derogatory name for the Japanese race.

Clearly he does not speak proper Chinese because "Wo" while do refer to the Japanese race, it does not have any connotation of "dwarf" initially and thus is not derogatory in anyway. Ever since the Chinese first learnt of the existence of Japanese race in the Han dynasty, they have always referred to them as Wo Ren which means people of Wo, it is commonly believed that this was due to the fact that in Japanese language "self" is called "wara", and Chinese took that sound and start calling them Wo people. One can not find any connotation of "dwarf" or "short" attached to this word in the text Shuo Wen Jie Zi 说文解字, which is the book of authority on explaining the meaning of Chinese words.

In other word Wo Dao simply means Japanese blade instead of dwarf blade, and I see no reason why general Qi couldn't name this weapon as such. There is no shame in learning the strength of your enemy and make it your own, and giving credit where due is a very honorable virtue. Its unfortunate that some modern Chinese martial artist value "face" and racial dignity over honoring real history.

My point can be further proven by text from the book Dan Dao Fa Xuan 单刀法选 by Cheng Zong Xian 程宗猷, its one of the most comprehensive guide that modern Miao Dao technique was based on. This article also talks about this book in high regards, however I highly doubt the author actually read this book, because on the first page it reads "余访求其法，有浙师刘云峰者，得倭之真传," which roughly translate into "I (Cheng Zhong Xian) searched for such technique, eventually found a teacher Liu Yun Feng, who acquired real teaching from Wo."

If this is not enough evidence, the next paragraph reads "今以倭刀为式，刀（三尺八寸）、靶（一尺二寸），则长有五尺。" roughly translate into "Now we use Wo Dao as the weapon of choice, blade (114 cm), handle (36 cm), total length 1.5 m " Here it clearly indicate that this weapon is referred to as Wo Dao aka Japanese blade by Cheng Zong Xian. Unless Cheng is illiterate in which case he could not have written this manual, otherwise I do not see how he could have mistaken Wo with anything else, the character Wo in Chinese exclusively refers to Japan, there are no confusion in that.

Furthermore, under the description of technique 8 and 9, it reads "此二势乃倭奴之绝技也。" Which roughly translate into "These 2 moves are the most devastating techniques of Wo Nu", here Wo Nu is a derogatory term referring to Japanese roughly meaning Japanese servants, take note that servant here does not mean real servant but is used to lower their social statues.

From the examples above, its easy to see that the original Miao Dao aka Wo Dao came from Japanese influence without a doubt, and everyone back in history knows about this. Like I said earlier the modern name of Miao Dao only came about in 1921. There are no official statement as to the reason behind this name change, but its highly possible that this was done in reaction to the increasing tension between China and Japan during that era, the Republic of China at the time was trying to promote national pride, and teaching a weapon system called Japanese blade surely does not match their political endeavor.

No matter why this weapon is eventually called Miao Dao, there is no denying in the fact that it was adopted from Japanese pirate. And I believe no Chinese need to be ashamed of such history. Its a great virtue to be able to remain humble and learn from those who were better than you, even if its your enemy. Its also a virtue to admit to a mistake when shown instead of blocking the person and pretend there is no problem.

Abi: Unfortunately you are confused. You are thinking of General Chang, not my teacher Col. Chang. Same sounding name, different characters for the name and different rank too. General Chang (or Zhang) did die in the 1950's and was NOT the xingyi & strategy teacher at the Central Military Academy. My teacher Col. Chang was, and he came out of the 3rd graduating class Whampoa Military Academy - you can look him up on the Academy website in Taiwan. He died approximately 17 years ago at the age of 91.

The use of a particular type of weapon will depend on particular situation. Japanese pirates in Ming Dynasty simply used a longer blade Japanese sword. A longer blade apparently made more successful raids. It was however not agile enough in Samurai open fights, and therefore not used as such. I believe the Ming army learned the Wo Dao because they needed to know the Japanese sword techniques in order to defend themselves better. (supporting reference 《單刀法選》Chinese Long Saber was Written by 程宗猷 (Cheng Zong You) during the Ming Dynasty, when the Japanese pirates fought with the Ming soldiers. He was taught by 刘雲峰 (Liu Yun Feng), who learnt Japanese swordsmanship (Kenjutsu) directly from the Japanese.)

I concur with fellow commenter that Miao Dao is Wo Dao. Needless to say Chinese martial artists would later add Chinese sword techniques to Miao or Wo Dao.

Miao or Wo Dao later became less popular because the reason for its original existence was gone. In the Republican period, a common double-hand weapon was Da Dao (大刀), which is a short-handle form of the traditional Kwuan Dao (関刀). The change was due to a change in the reality of battle field. Da Dao was a good weapon in close combat - against bayonets of the Imperial Japanese army.

It's a pity that Wang's latest comment was "moderated" away. To be fair to everybody, and an answer to Wang's latest comment (I hope it can be revived because it does raise an interesting point worth discussing), most legends in martial art are just "legends" or fictional, in modern terminology, it is called myth, PR or propaganda (some might even say "outright lies") depending on where one stands (to benefit from it). In HK, most people read such stories as mere (interesting) stories, afterall many martial art students are interested to be part of such myth. So, I say: why NOT? I have been repeatedly viewing God Father (1...etc)several times every year for the past X years. Why NOT? Documentaries are oftentimes rather boring.

Rick, I can certainly appreciate your point. Having said that more tolerance can make discussions more interesting (and hence more viewership). When I did my MBA at college, there was (and still "is") always a disclaimer to case study: any comments made(however "personal" it seems) are for the sole purpose of learning only and do not reflect on any inefficiency (or deficiency) of the companies and managers concerned. Lively discussions ensured.

My view: In this particular case, your ruling is too harsh - unless you have been categorically asked by your guest writer to do so (which is not impossible). If that be the case, I will support your action.

Reinvention or Japanese, you must decide for one thing, otherwise you are not stringent...With due respect to your sources, which any sinologist knows, I believe that the 2-handed, one edged sword did originated in China, not Japan!